Floventis Energy completes milestone for floating wind farms in the Celtic Sea

Plans for two 100MW floating wind farms in the Celtic Sea are progressing with the completion of benthic and geophysical surveys in readiness for the submission of a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) by developer Floventis Energy, a joint venture between Cierco and SBM Offshore. The company is also opening offices in Pembroke Dock.

Floventis Energy was awarded the agreement for lease for the Llŷr developments by the Crown Estate in July 2021 subject to a Habitats Regulation Assessment. This allows Floventis as the developer to progress with environmental assessment and surveys, secure access to the grid and seek planning consent through the statutory processes.

Located 31km off the coast of Pembrokeshire, the Llŷr developments (known as Llŷr 1 and Llŷr 2) will power in the region of 200,000 homes with 200MW of clean, green energy once operational by 2027. Each of the Llŷr projects will consist of six to eight turbines, all of which will be greater than 12MW.

Survey contractor N-Sea conducted the offshore survey using the N-Sea Spirit vessel, establishing a baseline ground model which will be developed as the project matures. The scope covered the offshore array area and export cable route corridor using both geophysical and benthic habitat survey techniques.

Scott Harper, Chief Executive Officer, Cierco, said: “Floating offshore wind is poised to become a key global technology in achieving a cost-effective net zero energy sector and is expected to become the backbone of a future energy system in the UK and play a significant part in reaching the Committee on Climate Change’s offshore wind target of 100GW of installed capacity by 2050. 

“The Celtic Sea will play a key role with 4GW of floating wind expected to be deployed by 2035. This will drive regional development, supply chain opportunities and new jobs while providing green, home-grown power for local communities.

“We’re driving forward the floating wind industry in Wales, with this project representing a major step towards the delivery of commercial scale wind in the Celtic Sea. The seabed rights awarded by the Crown Estate for Llŷr 1 and 2 represents two-thirds of the leasing in Welsh waters in the Celtic Sea to date and will support supply chain and infrastructure development, helping to underpin a sustainable future for the sector in Wales.

“The project is now in the pre-application phase which means that we are preparing all the detail and options required to support a full planning application including the start of consultation. The opening of our office in Pembroke Dock is a reflection of our commitment to working with the local community and potential supply chain partners in the region, and the safe completion of the surveys is an important milestone for us, particularly given the challenging weather conditions.”

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